Wonderware

!
Allen-Bradley
1784-KT I/O Server
Users Guide
Revision Y
December 2001
Wonderware Corporation


All rights reserved. No part of this documentation shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Wonderware Corporation. No
copyright or patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained
herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this documentation,
the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
The information in this documentation is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Wonderware Corporation. The software described in
this documentation is furnished under a license or nondisclosure agreement. This software
may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of these agreements.
Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server Users Guide
" "" " 20001Wonderware Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
100 Technology Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
U.S.A.
(949) 727-3200
http://www.wonderware.com
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have
been appropriately capitalized. Wonderware Corporation cannot attest to the accuracy of
this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity
of any trademark or service mark.
Wonderware and InTouch are registered trademarks of Wonderware Corporation.
Wonderware FactorySuite, WindowMaker, WindowViewer, SQL Access Manager, Recipe
Manager, SPC Pro, DBDump, DBLoad, HDMerge, HistData, Wonderware Logger,
InControl, InTrack, InBatch, IndustrialSQL, FactoryOffice, Scout, SuiteLink, and NetDDE
are trademarks of Wonderware Corporation.

i

Contents

Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1
Communication Protocols ......................................................................................... 1
Accessing Remote Items via the I/O Server .............................................................. 2
Getting Started Quickly with the I/O Server..................................................................... 3
Installing the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT Card .............................................................. 3
Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 ..................................................................... 4
Configuring the I/O Server ............................................................................................... 5
Configuring an Adapter Card ........................................................................................... 6
Adapter Card Settings................................................................................................ 6
AB1784KT Adapter Card Settings............................................................................ 7
AB1784KT - Firmware Configuration ...................................................................... 9
Saving the I/O Servers Configuration File .................................................................... 11
Save Configuration.................................................................................................. 11
Saving Multiple Configuration Files ....................................................................... 12
Configuring a Topic Definition ...................................................................................... 13
Topic Definition ...................................................................................................... 13
AB1784KT Topic Definition .................................................................................. 14
Configuring the I/O Server Settings................................................................................ 18
Server Settings......................................................................................................... 18
Accessing I/O Server Information .................................................................................. 20
Information/Reports ................................................................................................ 20
Information/Diagnostics .......................................................................................... 22
Accessing I/O Server Help ............................................................................................. 25
Contents................................................................................................................... 25
How to Use Help ..................................................................................................... 25
About AB1784KT................................................................................................... 25
Unsolicited Message Handling....................................................................................... 26
What is an Unsolicited Message?............................................................................ 26
Setting up the PLC................................................................................................... 27
Setting up the I/O Server and InTouch.................................................................... 29
Error Conditions Inside the PLC............................................................................. 30
Comments About Unsolicited Messages ................................................................. 30
Item Names..................................................................................................................... 31
PLC-2 Item Naming ................................................................................................ 31
PLC-3 Item Naming ................................................................................................ 34
PLC-5 Item Naming ................................................................................................ 39
PLC5/250 (Pyramid Integrator) Item Naming......................................................... 47
SLC 500 Item Naming............................................................................................. 55
Monitoring the Status of Communications with a PLC .................................................. 63
Using the Status Item in Excel................................................................................. 63
Monitoring the Status of an I/O Conversation................................................................ 63
Using DDEStatus and IOStatus in Excel ................................................................. 63
Reading Values from the I/O Server into Excel.............................................................. 64
ii Table of Contents

Writing Values to the I/O Server from Excel ................................................................. 65
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems ................................................. 66
Debugging Communication Between InTouch and an I/O Server .......................... 66
Debugging Communication Between SuiteLink and an I/O Server ........................ 68
Debugging Communication Between an I/O Server and a PLC.............................. 69

1

Wonderware Allen-Bradley
1784-KT I/O Server
Introduction
The Wonderware
!
Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server (referred to as the server through
the remainder of this users guide) is a Microsoft

Windows
!
application program that
acts as a communication protocol server. It allows other Windows application programs
access to data in PLCs (also referred to as devices) attached to the DH+, DH, DHII, and
DH485 networks. The server requires the use of an Allen-Bradley 1784-KT, 1784-KTX,
1784-KTXD, 1784-PKTX, or 1784-PKTXD card to communicate with the DH+ (Data
Highway Plus) network. The server can access data in PLC-2, PLC-3, PLC-5, PLC-5/250,
and SLC 500 either directly or indirectly (depending on the PLC type) through the Data
Highway Plus network.
While the server is primarily intended for use with Wonderware InTouch
!
(version 3.01
and later), it may be used by any Microsoft Windows program capable of acting as a
DDE, FastDDE, or SuiteLink
"
client.
Communication Protocols
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a communication protocol developed by Microsoft to
allow applications in the Windows environment to send/receive data and instructions
to/from each other. It implements a client-server relationship between two concurrently
running applications. The server application provides the data and accepts requests from
any other application interested in its data. Requesting applications are called clients.
Some applications such as InTouch and Microsoft Excel can simultaneously be both a
client and a server.
FastDDE provides a means of packing many proprietary Wonderware DDE messages into
a single Microsoft DDE message. This packing improves efficiency and performance by
reducing the total number of DDE transactions required between a client and a server.
Although Wonderware's FastDDE has extended the usefulness of DDE for our industry,
this extension is being pushed to its performance constraints in distributed environments.
NetDDE
"
extends the standard Windows DDE functionality to include communication
over local area networks and through serial ports. Network extensions are available to
allow DDE links between applications running on different computers connected via
networks or modems. For example, NetDDE supports DDE between applications running
on IBM

compatible computers connected via LAN or modem and DDE-aware

.
2 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
SuiteLink uses a TCP/IP based protocol and is designed specifically to meet industrial
needs such as data integrity, high-throughput, and easier diagnostics. This protocol
standard is only supported on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000.
SuiteLink is not a replacement for DDE, FastDDE, or NetDDE. The protocol used
between a client and a server depends on your network connections and configurations.
SuiteLink was designed to be the industrial data network distribution standard and
provides the following features:
Value Time Quality (VTQ) places a time stamp and quality indicator on all data
values delivered to VTQ-aware clients.
Extensive diagnostics of the data throughput, server loading, computer resource
consumption, and network transport are made accessible through the Microsoft
Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems Performance Monitor. This
feature is critical for the scheme and maintenance of distributed industrial networks.
Consistent high data volumes can be maintained between applications regardless if
the applications are on a single node or distributed over a large node count.
The network transport protocol is TCP/IP using Microsofts standard WinSock
interface.
Accessing Remote Items via the I/O Server
The communication protocol addresses an element of data in a conversation that uses a
three-part naming convention that includes the application name, topic name and item
name. The following briefly describes each portion of this naming convention:
application name The name of the Windows program (server) that will be
accessing the data element. In the case of data coming from
or going to Allen-Bradley equipment via this server, the
application portion of the address is AB1784KT.
topic name Meaningful names are configured in the server to identify
specific devices. These names are then used as the topic name
in all conversations to that device. For example, ABPLC.
Note You can define multiple topic names for the same device
(PLC) to poll different points at different rates.
item name A specific data element within the specified topic. For
example, when using this server, an item can be a relay, timer,
counter, register, etc., in the PLC.
Note The item/point names are predefined by the server. The
term "point" is used interchangeably with the term "item" in
this user's guide.
For more information on item/point names, see the Item
Names" section later in this user's guide.
Getting Started Quickly with the I/O Server 3
Getting Started Quickly with the I/O Server
This section briefly describes the procedure required to install the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT
card and prepare the server for use. This procedure can also apply to the KTX. KTXD,
PKTX or the PKTXD card, which only needs 4K of unused memory for each channel.
Detailed descriptions of the steps can be found in the user's guides provided by Allen-
Bradley and in later sections of this users guide.
Note If using an ISA-style card in EISA-bus computers, it is essential to use the PC
vendor provided EISA configuration utilities to let the PC know what slot, IRQ's, memory
addresses, etc. that the ISA-style card is using.
- For a PCI card, there is no need for setting DIP switches or configuring a memory base
address.
- For an ISA card in an ISA bus PC, the DIP switches need to be set and a memory base
address needs to be configured from the server.
Installing the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT Card
For KTx ISA bus cards:
Install the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT card in accordance with the instructions provided by
Allen-Bradley. Before you install the KTx card inside your computer, you must set the
switches on the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT card to an unused 16K area of memory in the
computer and set IRQ (interrupt) to NONE. Watch for memory conflicts with video
controllers, network cards, and BIOS areas. Ensure that the computer does not disable the
use of the memory at the selected address range. Watch for interrupt conflicts with
parallel ports, communication ports, and mouse boards.
The following address ranges are typical, but PC-compatibles vary. The best candidate is
indicated by an asterisk (*).
Memory Range Typical Use
0000 - A000 System memory; do not use.
A000 - B000 Graphic video display memory; do not use.
B000 - B800 Monochrome display memory; okay to use if using a
color-only system.
B800 - C000 Color display memory; okay to use if using a
monochrome-only system.
C000 - C400 EGA BIOS; do not use if display controller is EGA.
C000 - C800 VGA BIOS; do not use if display controller is VGA.
C800 - D000 Sometimes used by video cards; use with caution.
D000 - E000* Usually available. Be sure to avoid conflicts with other
cards such as network adapters.
E000 - F000 Sometimes used by system BIOS; use with caution.
F000 - FFFF System BIOS; do not use.
Note Copy the firmware files (.bin) from the AllenBradley 1784-KTxISA Comm. Card
Utility Disk to a folder on your local hard drive. Note the directory name and path where
the firmware files have been copied. This will be entered in the Adapter Setting of the
Firmware Configuration.
4 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
For PKTx(D) PCI bus cards:
The 1784-PKTx(D) cards do not require the use of switches or jumper to configure their
specific interrupt request levels (IRQ) and base memory address values.
Although the assignment of the IRQ and base memory address value is automatic, and
does not require user intervention, there is one jumper on the PKTx(D) card that is used to
restrict the rage of values that can be assigned to the base memory address by the PCI
BIOS. This jumper is called Base Memory Address jumper (JP2), and it must be set to
32bit position before you install the PKTx card inside your computer.
It is possible to have more than one PKTx card within your system. There are two
jumpers, identified as JP3, can be set to establish unique PKTx(D) card ID numbers. . It is
important to coordinate the setting of these jumpers so that each card can be recognized by
the system.
Note Copy the firmware files (.bin) from the AllenBradley 1784-PKTX Utility Disk to a
folder on your local hard drive. Note the directory name and path where the firmware files
have been copied. This will be entered in the Adapter Setting of the Firmware
Configuration
Using Windows NT or Windows 2000
1. Install the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT card in the computer. Connect the KT cable
(provided by Allen-Bradley) between the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT card and the
nearest Data Highway Plus node.
2. Click the Start button, then click Run. Type X:\SETUP (X identifies the drive being
used) in the Open text box, then click OK.
Note After installing the server, you will need to reboot the system to start up the
kernal device driver; then the server will auto detect the PCI cards.

With ISA cards, after installing the server and rebooting, you will need to configure
the memory base addresses.
3. If the server starts up as an icon, double-click on the icon to restore it to a window.
4. On the Configure menu, click Adapter Card Settings and configure the settings for
the cards being used.
5. On the Configure menu, click Topic Definition and define one or more topics
associated with the devices (PLCs) on the Data Highway Plus.
6. Reboot your system. The server is now ready for use.
Note Other system device drivers which will access Allen-Bradley 1784-KT cards
may not run on the same computer this server is running. Doing so may create
conflicts which make all related products unusable.
Configuring the I/O Server 5
Configuring the I/O Server
Once the server has been installed, a small amount of configuration is required.
Configuring the server automatically creates a configuration file named,
AB1784KT.CFG. This file stores the configuration information for the adapter card and
all of the topic definitions (described in detail later).
The configuration file is automatically saved to the directory in which the server is
installed unless a different directory is specified.
To perform the required configurations, start up the server by double-clicking on its icon.
If the server starts up as an icon, double-click on the icon to open the server's window.

To access the options used for the various configurations, open the Configure menu:

6 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Configuring an Adapter Card
Use the Adapter Card Settings option from the Configure menu to create new, modify,
or delete adapter card definitions. When this option is selected, the Adapter Card
Settings dialog box will appear:

Adapter Card Settings
Note Once adapter cards have been configured, their names will be listed in the Cards
section of the dialog box.

Click Done to close the dialog box and accept any new definitions, modifications or
deletions made.

To modify or view an existing adapter cards definition, select its name in the list and
click Modify. The AB1784KT Adapter Card Settings dialog box (described below)
appears displaying the cards settings.

To delete an existing adapter card definition, select its name in the list and click Delete.
(A message box appears prompting you to confirm the deletion.)
Configuring an Adapter Card 7

To add a new adapter card, click New. The AB1784KT Adapter Card Settings dialog
box appears:

For an ISA card on an ISA bus PC, the Memory Base Address setting entered for the
adapter card in this dialog box must match the DIP switch setting on the card. For a PCI
card, there is no need for DIP switch settings.
AB1784KT Adapter Card Settings

Enter a unique name for the adapter card in the Card Name field.. (This name is used in
your topic definitions to associate each topic with a specific adapter card.)

Select the type of card you are using with the server in the Type selection box.
Note This server does not ship with the firmware required to operate the Allen-Bradley
1784-KTX, 1784-KTXD, 1784-PKTX or 1784-PKTXD card. Therefore, if the Allen-
Bradley 1784-KTX,1784-KTXD 1784-PKTX or 1784-PKTXD card is selected, the user
MUST specify the location of the firmware files to be downloaded to the selected card.
8 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server

Select the appropriate Speed from the Highway Speed selection box.
The 1784-KT/B card supports 57.6 K Baud.
The 1784-KTX or 1784-KTXD card may run at either 57.6 K baud or 230.4 K
Baud.
All devices on a DH+ must run at the same baud rate.

For ISA adapter, enter the Memory Base Address for the card.

Click Configure to specify firmware loading preferences. When clicked, the
AB1784KT-Firmware Configuration dialog box (described later) appears.

Select Enable Terminating Resistor when the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT is the first or last
physical station on the Data Highway Plus.

The Cards Highway Address must match the switch settings on the Host card. Valid
address ranges are as follows:
Data Highway Plus 0 - 77 (octal)
If using Off link routing 2 - 20 (octal)

Enter the amount of time (in seconds) that all PLCs connected via this Allen-Bradley
1784-KT adapter card will be given to reply to commands from the server in the Reply
Timeout field.
Note This timeout is sustained only when the PLC fails to respond. When the PLC is
responding normally, there is no penalty. The default value of 3 seconds should be
sufficient for most configurations.

Select the interface type from the Interface Types selection box. The default interface
type is ISA. If the PCI option is selected, click the down arrow to open the list of
available PCI cards.
Configuring an Adapter Card 9

Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving changes.

Click OK to accept the adapter card settings and return to the Adapter Card Settings
dialog box:

Click Done to close the dialog box. The following message box appears:

Click OK to close the dialog box.
Note You will have to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
AB1784KT - Firmware Configuration


Select the Do Not Load Firmware option to prevent any firmware from being loaded into
the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT Card.
10 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server

Select the Load Firmware option to load firmware. In doing so, one of the following
options must be chosen: Server Supplied or User Supplied.

Enable Server Supplied to load the firmware that was shipped with the server.

Enable User Supplied to load user supplied firmware. When selecting this option you
must enter the path in the Firmware File Location text box.

Enter a path to load the firmware from your hard drive into the Firmware File Location
field. The default path for the formware file location is \IPDS\ATTACH\PLC5. If the
1784-KTx or 1784-PKTx firmware files are located in a different directory, then update
the path in the firmware file location list box. Be certain that the firmware came with the
card or has been downloaded for exactly the same type of card you are configuring.
Additionally, all files must be under 16K in size. If a file is larger than 16K, upon
attempting to load the file, the server will generate an error message to the Wonderware
Logger: Firmware File cannot be loaded. The server will fail to initialize the card and
will be forced to shut down.

Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving changes.

Click OK to accept the firmware configuration and return to the AB1784KT Adapter
Card Settings dialog box.
Saving the I/O Servers Configuration File 11
Saving the I/O Servers Configuration File
If a configuration file does not currently exist in the configuration file directory, the server
will automatically display the Save Configuration dialog box:

Save Configuration

The Configuration File Directory field displays the drive\directory where the server will
save the current configuration file. To save the configuration file to a different directory,
enter the path for that directory in this field.

This option is selected and disabled on initial entry to the Save Configuration dialog box.
This field becomes active if the Configuration File Directory is changed. Once enabled,
selecting this option will record a new Configuration File path in the WIN.INI file. This
option allows the server to find its configuration file automatically each time it is started.
Note When the server initially starts up, it attempts to locate its default configuration file
by first checking the WIN.INI file for a previously specified path. If a path is not present
in the WIN.INI file, the server will assume that the current working directory is to be
used.

Click Defaults to reset the settings to their default values without saving changes.

Click OK to save the configuration file to the specified directory.
12 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Saving Multiple Configuration Files
There is no limit to the number of configuration files that you can create as long as they
are saved in separate directories. This allows you to have multiple configuration files that
can be accessed by using a special switch (/d:). For example, to start the server using a
configuration file located in a different directory, open the DOS Prompt in Windows NT
or Command Prompt in Windows 2000, go to the sub directory where your
AB1784KT.EXE is installed, type the following and then hit Enter:
AB1784KT /d:c:\directoryname
c:\directoryname is the path of drive and directories where you stored the alternative
configuration file.
The same can be achieved by using Run dialog box in Start menu. Type in the same
command line listed above and clicks OK. The Path for AB1784KT.EXE file has to be
defined in Windows Environment Variables to allow this command line to run in Run
dialog box.
Configuring a Topic Definition 13
Configuring a Topic Definition
Use the Topic Definition option from the Configure menu to create new, modify, or
delete topic definitions. One or more topic definitions must exist for each PLC that the
server communicates with. Each topic definition must contain a unique name for the
associated PLC. When this option is selected, the Topic Definition dialog box appears:

Topic Definition
Note Once topics have been defined, their names will be listed in the Topics section of
this dialog box.

Click Done to close the dialog box and accept any new definitions, modifications or
deletions made.

Select the topic name in the list and click Modify to modify or view an existing topic
definition. The AB1784KT Topic Definition dialog box (described below) appears
displaying the selected topic definition.

To delete an existing topic definition, select its name in the list and click Delete. (A
message box appears prompting you to confirm the deletion.)
14 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server

To add a new topic definition, click New. The AB1784KT Topic Definition dialog box
appears:

AB1784KT Topic Definition

Enter a unique name (up to 32-characters long) for the PLC in the Topic Name field.
Example: ABPLC.
Note When communicating with InTouch, this exact name is used as the topic name in
the Access Name definition.

The adapter card name currently associated with this topic definition appears in the
Adapter Card Name field. To select a different card, click on the down arrow to open
the list of configured cards.
Configuring a Topic Definition 15

Select the PLC type for this topic definition from the PLC Family selection box. This is a
dynamic field, therefore, as you select a PLC type the Connect Type and Network
Addressing change.

Select the Supports PID and String Files option if using a 1785 PLC-5 that supports
PID, ASCII String, Block Transfer and SFC Status Files. This field only appears when
PLC-5 is selected for the PLC Family.

Select the Connect Type appropriate for your PLC network configuration. The supported
Network Addressing options for your selection will be activated.
Network Addressing

The Network Addressing box is dynamic. The applicable options appear according
to the PLC Family type and Connect Type selected. In the example above the
Networking Address is defined as follows:

The Host computer is connected to the 1785KA by the Data Highway Plus (DH+).
The DH+ Node must match the unique identification (switch or thumbwheel setting)
of the 1785KA communication adapter. Valid entries are 0 - 77 (octal).
16 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server

The above 1785KA is connected to the first 1785KA by a Data Highway (DH)
"bridge". The DH/DH+ Node must match the unique identification (switch or
thumbwheel setting) of the 1785KA communication adapter and PLC-5. Valid DH
Node ID entries for the 1785KA are 0 - 377 (octal). Valid DH+ Node ID entries for
the PLC-5 are 0 - 77 (octal).
Another example of a Network Addressing is shown below.

The above Network Addressing is for a PLC5/250 with a P.I. gate Connect Type. In
this example the Networking Address is defined as follows:

The Host computer is connected to the PLC-5/250 by the Data Highway Plus (DH+).
The DH+ Node must match the unique identification (switch or thumbwheel setting)
of the PLC-5/250. Valid entries are 0 - 77 (octal). The Link ID of the PLC-5/250
must contain one of the user configured Link IDs. In this example, valid DH+ entries
for the Link ID are 0 - 99.

The above PLC-5 is connected to the PLC-5/250 by the Data Highway Plus (DH+).
The DH+ Node must match the unique identification (switch or thumbwheel setting)
of the PLC-5. Valid entries for the PLC-5 are 0 - 77 (octal).
Configuring a Topic Definition 17

Enter the maximum number of consecutive discrete values to be read at one time in the
Discrete Read Block Size field. The Discrete Read Block Size can be any integer
between 8 and 1920 that is a multiple of 8. For offlink routing, the maximum Discrete
Read Block Size is 1824. The maximum for a SLC-500 is 320.

Enter the maximum number of consecutive registers to be read at one time in the Register
Read Block Size field. The Register Read Block Size can be any integer between 1 and
120. For offlink routing, the maximum Register Read Block Size is 108. The maximum
for a SLC-500 is 40.

Enter the frequency (in milliseconds) that the server will read (poll) the items/points
associated with this topic in the Update Interval field. (Enter a zero in this field when
configuring a topic for Unsolicited Messages, this in effect, disables periodic polling.)
Note Different items/points can be polled at different rates by defining multiple topic
names for the same PLC and setting different update rates for each topic.

Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving changes.

Click OK to accept the topic definition and return to the Topic Definition dialog box:

Click Done to close the dialog box.
18 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Configuring the I/O Server Settings
Use the Server Settings option from the Configure menu to change the protocol timer, to
enable the network using Wonderware NetDDE, to specify the default configuration file
path, or to enable the server to start automatically as a Windows NT or Windows 2000
service.
Note When configuring the server on Windows NT or Windows 2000, you must be
logged on with system administrator privileges. This will ensure that updates to the
system registry can be performed.
When the Server Settings option is selected, the Server Settings dialog box appears:

Server Settings

Enter the frequency (in milliseconds) that the server is to check for data to process in the
Protocol Timer Tick field. This should be approximately two to four times faster than
the fastest rate desired to update data from the equipment.

Select NetDDE being used if you are networking using Wonderware NetDDE.

To create a new default configuration file, enter the complete path for the directory in
which the file is to be saved in the Configuration File Directory field. This new path
will automatically be written to the WIN.INI file and the server will use this path to load
its configuration file the next time it is started.
Note There is no limit to the number of configuration files created. However, each must
be saved in a different directory. When using the server with InTouch, we recommend
that you save the configuration file in your application directory. For more information on
the Configuration File, see "Saving the Configuration File" in this user's guide.
Configuring the I/O Server Settings 19

Select Start automatically as Windows NT Service to cause the server to start as a
Windows NT or Windows 2000 Service.
Windows NT and Windows 2000 offers the capability of running applications even when
a user is not logged on to the system. This is valuable when systems must operate in an
unattended mode. Enabling this option and rebooting the system will cause the server to
run as a Windows NT or Windows 2000 service. However, to view configuration
information or to reconfigure the server, the user must log on to the system. Any server
related problems that may arise such as missing adapter cards, licensing failures or device
drivers not loading will not be visible to the user until a log on is performed. Disabling
this option and rebooting the system will cause the server to run as a Windows NT or
Windows 2000 application program once again.
Note It is highly recommended that the server is configured and communicating
successfully prior to running it as a Windows NT or Windows 2000 service.

Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving changes.

Click OK to accept the server settings. The following message box appears:

Click OK to close the dialog box.
Note You must restart the server for the changes to take effect.
20 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Accessing I/O Server Information
The Information menu contains two options, each with a submenu to access information
on the server.
Information/Reports

The following describes the Reports menu options.
Configuration File-Verbose
Reads the current configuration file (.CFG) from disk and prints it to the Wonderware
Logger in a verbose form. The report includes a text description of every selection made
within the server with regards to the configured Adapters and Topics.
For example, the report shown below was generated from a configuration file that defined
one Adapter (Wonder0) and two Topics (ABPLC and BACKUPPLC) attached to the
Adapter. Notice the hierarchical layout, wherein the Adapter comes first, then all Topics
attached to that Adapter are indented and listed below it.
=== Verbose Report of Configuration File ===
KT Card: 'Wonder0'
Memory Address: D400 (Hex)
Reply Timeout: 3 (Seconds)
DH+ Address: 1 (Octal)
Firmware Source: Server Supplied
Termination Resistor: DISABLED
Configured Topics Attached To This Card:
Topic: 'BACKUPPLC'
PLC Model: PLC5
-- Addressing --
Connects to remote DH+ Station: 2 (Octal) through a bridge
configuration.
The local bridge device, a 1779-KP5 module, is DH+ Station: 0
(Octal)
and the remote device is Non-DH+ Station: 0 (Octal)
-- Other Information --
Update Interval = 1000 (Milliseconds)
PLC Does Not Support PID and String file types
Max Block Size for Reading Bits: 1824
Max Block Size for Reading Words: 108
Topic: 'ABPLC'
PLC Model: PLC5
Connects to local DH+ Station: 0 (Octal)
Update Interval = 1000 (Milliseconds)
PLC Supports PID and String file types
Max Block Size for Reading Bits: 1920
Max Block Size for Reading Words: 120
Total Configured Topics: 2
Total Configured Boards: 1
=== End Verbose Report ===
Accessing I/O Server Information 21
Configuration File-Terse
Reads the current configuration file (.CFG) from disk and prints it to the Wonderware
Logger in a terse (short) form. The report lists each of the configured Adapters and
Topics.
For example, the report shown below was generated from a configuration file that defined
one Adapter (Wonder0) and two Topics (ABPLC and BACKUPPLC) attached to the
Adapter. Notice the hierarchical layout, wherein the Adapter comes first, then all Topics
attached to that Adapter are indented and listed below it.
=== Summary Report of Configuration File ===
Adapter Card: 'Wonder0'
Topic: 'BACKUPPLC'
Topic: 'ABPLC'
=== End of Summary Report ===
Active Ports and Topics
Prints the run-time state of the server to the Wonderware Logger in a verbose form. The
report includes a text description of every currently active Adapter and Topic within the
server during runtime.
For example, the report shown below was generated from a configuration file that defined
one Adapter (Wonder0) and two Topics (ABPLC and BACKUPPLC) attached to the
Adapter. Notice the hierarchical layout, wherein the Adapter comes first, then all Topics
attached to that Adapter are indented and listed below it.
=== Report of Active Ports/Topics ===
KT Card: 'Wonder0'
Memory Address: D400 (Hex)
Reply Timeout: 3 (Seconds)
DH+ Address: 1 (Octal)
Firmware Source: Server Supplied
Termination Resistor: DISABLED
Active Topics Attached To This Card:
Topic: 'backupplc'
PLC Model: PLC5
-- Addressing --
Connects to remote DH+ Station: 2 (Octal) through a bridge
configuration.
The local bridge device, a 1779-KP5 module, is DH+ Station: 0
(Octal)
and the remote device is Non-DH+ Station: 0 (Octal)
-- Other Information --
Update Interval = 1000 (Milliseconds)
PLC Does Not Support PID and String file types
Max Block Size for Reading Bits: 1824
Max Block Size for Reading Words: 108
Read Messages: 1
Write Messages: 0
Total Active Items: 1
Topic: 'abplc'
PLC Model: PLC5
Connects to Local DH+ Station: 0 (Octal)
Update Interval = 1000 (Milliseconds)
PLC Supports PID and String file types
Max Block Size for Reading Bits: 1920
Max Block Size for Reading Words: 120
Read Messages: 1
Write Messages: 0
Total Active Items: 1
Total Active Topics: 2
Total Active Ports: 1
===End of Active Ports/Topics Report ===
22 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Server Version Information
Prints the server's version number to the Wonderware Logger.
Server Settings
Reads the current settings of the server from the WIN.INI file and prints them to the
Wonderware Logger in report form. This report provides information on the settings as
configured in the Server Settings dialog.
For example:
=== Report of Server Settings ===
Protocol Timer Tick: 10 (Milliseconds)
Valid Data Timeout: 60000 (Milliseconds)
Config File Path: 'C:\IOServer\'
The server will purge any pending writes upon entering slow poll mode
=== End of Server Settings Report ===
Information/Diagnostics

The following describes the Diagnostics menu options.
Active Topics and Items
Displays the Server Information dialog box, containing information pertaining to active
topics and the active items attached to those topics.

Accessing I/O Server Information 23
Server Information

When one or more topics are active, they will be displayed in the Active Topics list box.

Selecting a topic within the Active Topics list box will cause the dialog box to display the
Active Items associated with the selected topic. Normally, the client area of the server
displays a list of all the active topics and messages.
Note This list can be very long in large applications, so long in fact that the list extends
off the end of the window. This window was not designed to be scrollable due to
performance considerations. Therefore, when many topics and many messages are active,
the screen will not be able to display the entire list.
To provide a clearer picture of what is happening inside the server, this dialog box
modifies the content of the client area. When this dialog box is open and a Topic has been
selected, the client area displays ONLY the messages associated with the selected topic.
Additionally, when an item is selected, the client area will move the line containing the
description of the message to the top of the list and paint it red.

The Port Details box displays the current state of the server.

The Topic Details box displays the number of active items on the selected topic as well as
the number of active messages on the selected topic.
24 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server

Click Track Item to instruct the server to dump a one-time TRACE of the selected item.
This trace consists of three messages dumped to the Wonderware Logger:
Acknowledgment that the TRACE has been requested
A dump of the message request as it was sent to the PLC
A dump of the data returned by the PLC in response to the request made.
Or,
A message indicating that the PLC failed to respond within the Reply Timeout
period. In this case, no data is dumped to the logger, because nothing was sent
back from the PLC.

Click Dump Topic to dump a report to the Wonderware Logger describing the items and
messages associated with the selected topic. This report is very detailed. For large
applications with many items, the server may pause while outputting this report; this will
significantly impact the performance of the server while outputting the report.
Who Active (DH+ Nodes)
The Active Nodes section provides a real-time display of the active nodes on the selected
DH+ network. The bold station numbers are the active nodes.

Accessing I/O Server Help 25
Accessing I/O Server Help
The Help menu contains three options that are used to access help for the server.

The following briefly describes the Help menu options.
Contents
This option is used to display the table of contents for the Help file.
How to Use Help
This option is used to access a list of basic instructions for using the help file.
About AB1784KT
This option is used to access miscellaneous information regarding the server, such as the
software version you are running, the copyright information, license information, etc.
Your FactorySuite system license information can be viewed through the license viewing
utility that is launched from the About dialog box.
! For more information on the license viewing utility, see your FactorySuite System
Administrators Guide.
26 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Unsolicited Message Handling
Wonderware's servers are based on the concept of polling a hardware device for
information. This polling is driven by a need, which is expressed in the form of a requests
from one or more clients. Once a particular piece of information has been requested by a
client, the server formulates its own request and sends that request to the hardware device.
The server then waits for a response to its request. Once the information has been
received, the server passes that information back to the client, and repeats the process until
all clients have ceased requesting information.
The rate at which the server will poll a particular device for a specific piece of information
is defined in the topic definition, inside the server, using a parameter called the Update
Interval. When setting this parameter, there is always a trade-off between the update
speed of the topic and the resulting decrease in system responsiveness.
Since you more than likely want very fast response, the temptation is to set the Update
Interval to a value close to 0 milliseconds. However, if every point is polled at this rate,
the entire system will suffer due to slow response time. Therefore, you should
compromise, and set the Update Interval to a more reasonable value. You could also
create multiple topics for each device, setting the Update Interval to different values, then
assign different items to different topics depending on how quickly the values change, and
how quickly you want to see an update of those changes.
An item may be very important, but change very infrequently, e.g., alarm bits. You may
require very fast updates of alarms when they do change, but realistically you may only
see them change once a week, or once a day at best. Because you do not know when this
may happen, you are forced to set the Update Interval to some small value, approaching 0
milliseconds. That is, until now!
What is an Unsolicited Message?
In the world of PLCs and servers it is obvious, to even the most casual user, that a PLC
will know when a critical event has occurred before the server will have a chance to poll
for that data. Therefore, it would seem natural that if a critical event occurs, the PLC
should have the capability to inform the server immediately, without having to wait for the
server to poll it.
This is the role of an unsolicited message. Once a PLC has determined that a critical
condition exists, it can generate a "reply" message to a poll which never occurred. In
other words, it can answer the server's question before the server has a chance to ask it.
The following Allen-Bradley processors are capable of producing unsolicited messages
that the Wonderware I/O Servers can understand. Specifically, the PLC-3, PLC-5, PLC-
5/250 (RM or KA), and SLC-500.
Unsolicited Message Handling 27
Setting up the PLC
This section explains how to set up the PLC to send unsolicited messages. To illustrate
the ladder logic required to perform this function, we will use the example below. This
was tested with a PLC 5/10 processor, connected to a Data Highway Plus with the 5/10
and a S-S Technologies 5136-SD card connected to it.
Note The text and illustrations below provide you with one example of how a
Wonderware Allen-Bradley I/O Server and the Allen-Bradley hardware need to be
configured to get unsolicited messages from the PLC to the server. This same concept,
changed only slightly, is compatible with any of the Wonderware Allen-Bradley I/O
Servers.

Inside Station 02 (the PLC 5/10) the following rungs were entered:

When viewing the MSG instruction (second line, last instruction in diagram above) with
the Allen-Bradley 6200 software, the MSG instruction parameters have the following
values:
Parameter Select
Communications Command: PLC-5 Typed Write
PLC Data Table Address: N12:190
Size In Elements 1
Local/Remote: Local
Remote Station, Link ID, and Remote Link Type: N/A
Remote Station, Link ID, and Remote Link Type: N/A
Remote Station, Link ID, and Remote Link Type: N/A
Local Node Address: 1
Destination Data Table Address N12:190
28 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Communications Command
This must be a Write. A Read would not make sense here.
PLC Data Table Address
The memory address of the value that will be sent to the Wonderware I/O Server. This
address refers to the location inside the PLC. (For more information, see the "Destination
Data Table Address".)
Size In Elements
Indicates how many elements will be moved per message, starting at the PLC Data Table
Address previously defined. An element's actual size depends on the type of data being
handled. For example, a single element of type N (Integer) is 16 bits (two bytes) long.
Whereas, a single element of type F (Floating Point) is 32 bits (two words) long.
Local/Remote
Defines if the destination DH+ station (in this case, the server) is on the same DH+ as this
PLC. If the server is on the same DH+ as the PLC, then the addressing is Local,
otherwise, the message must be sent via a Bridge. If this is the case, then Remote
addressing would be selected.
Remote Station, Link ID, and Remote Link Type
These settings specify the type of Data Highway the Remote Link is. Typical settings
include DH, DH+, DHII, etc. This link must have a number associated with it, this
number is referred to as the Link ID, or the Link Number. Typical settings are 0, 1, 2 or
3. The Remote Station is the station number on the Remote Link to which this message
will be sent.
Local Node Address
Defines the Destination station's address on the DH+, in both Local and Remote
situations.
Destination Data Table Address
The address into which the value defined by the PLC Data Table Address will be placed.
In the case of unsolicited messages to the server, this is the address that has been entered
into the Item field of a particular Tagname inside InTouch. For example, you may have a
tag called: TankLevel with the item, N12:190. The item specified would be the address
used for this parameter. In most cases, the PLC Data Table Address and the Destination
Data Table Address do not need to be the same. To reduce confusion when debugging the
system, we recommend that they be identical.
Unsolicited Message Handling 29
Setting up the I/O Server and InTouch
This section briefly describes how to set up the server and InTouch to accept unsolicited
messages.
The following topic was defined in the server:
Topic Name: Unsolicited_PLC2
Card: SD:0
PLC Station Address: 02 (Octal)
Update Interval: 0
The following Access Name was defined in InTouch:
Access Name: Unsolicited_PLC2
Application/Server: SS5136SD
Topic: Unsolicited_PLC2
Wait For Change: Checked
Advise All Items: Checked
Note If a PLC generates an unsolicited message and the destination tagname is not
advised (active inside InTouch), the server will generate an error message. To avoid this,
create a separate Access Name with the Advise all items option enabled, and associate
only those tags that will be receiving unsolicited messages to it. By doing this, all
unsolicited message items will be advised and will receive the unsolicited data, even if the
tagname is not used in a visible window.
The following tagname was defined in InTouch:
TagName: TankLevel
TagType: Integer
AccessName: Unsolicited_PLC2
Item: N12:190
Note If Advise only active items is checked and the tag is displayed on the screen, it will
be advised. When this occurs, the server will store that tagname as an item that needs to
be polled regularly from the PLC. For example, if the update interval was set to five
minutes (configured in the topic definition), then every five minutes the server will send
out a request for the current value of N12:190 to the PLC. The PLC will respond,
returning the value inside N12:190, in our example above. This is a Normal Polling
Cycle.
At the same time, the PLC is constantly monitoring the value of the TankLevel, stored in
register N12:190. If this value grows larger than 128, the PLC logic will initiate the MSG
instruction. The MSG instruction will take the value of N12:190 and write it to the server.
The server will see the incoming message and attempt to match the PLC station address
defined in the server. It will also try to match the Destination Data Table Address to one
that is currently being polled for that particular PLC address. If this matching procedure
succeeds, the value of that tag will be updated with the value sent from the PLC's MSG
instruction.
30 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Error Conditions Inside the PLC
The Allen-Bradley 1785 PLC-5 processors have a separate CPU to handle Data Highway
Plus communications. This processor works independently of the program scan. This is
an advantage, since the program scan is not inhibited by lengthy Data Highway Plus
command queues. This means that the status bits and words associated with the MSG
instruction will be updated synchronously to the program scan. If an error bit is false
when the program begins to scan, half way through the rungs, the bit may go high. Inside
the Allen-Bradley PLC, it is important to properly handle error conditions with a MSG
instruction.
If a MSG instruction's .ER bit goes high, it is advisable to stop sending MSGs for a period
of 15 to 60 seconds. Then, send another MSG, waiting for a .DN bit before attempting to
resume normal communication. If this is not done, the MSG instruction will default to a
"slow mode" of one MSG every 15 seconds. If these MSGs continue to be
unacknowledged by the server, there is a chance the PLC will halt communication with the
server until the MSG instruction is reset. This is something that cannot be done from the
Wonderware I/O Server since the PLC may no longer be communicating with it.
Comments About Unsolicited Messages
1. In general, unsolicited messages should be used only on rare occasions, not as the
normal mode of data transmission.
2. A MSG instruction inside a PLC should never be placed in 'continuous' mode. This
will cause the MSG instruction to generate outgoing messages as quickly as possible,
continuously, regardless of the state of the instructions ahead of it. Therefore, even if
the Bit B10:0/14 is FALSE, if the .CO bit (Continuous Bit) is set in the MSG
instruction, the MSG instruction will continue to generate messages as quickly as
possible until either the processor has been placed into PROGRAM mode, or the .CO
bit is toggled off.
3. Read the Allen-Bradley manual, publication 1785-6-1, November 1998 for more
information about the MSG instruction inside the 1785 PLC-5s. Other PLCs
manuals also have specific information regarding generating a MSG instruction in the
Ladder Logic.
Note The PLC-2 was never designed to allow communication on the DH. It has a
communications module, the 1771-KA2, which allows the PLC-2 to sit on the DH.
The PLC-2 manual therefore has no mention of the messaging capabilities of the
PLC-2. The manual for the 1771-KA2 has all the information youll need to set up an
unsolicited message from the PLC-2.
4. If a PLC generates an unsolicited message and the destination tagname is not advised
(active inside InTouch), the server will generate an error message. To avoid this,
create a separate Access Name with the Advise all items option enabled, and
associate only those tagnames that will be receiving unsolicited messages. By doing
this, all items will be advised and will receive the unsolicited data, even if the
tagname is not used in a visible window.
Item Names 31
Item Names
The Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server supports item names that follow the conventions
described for PLC-2, PLC-3, PLC-5, PLC-5/250, and SLC-500s.
PLC-2 Item Naming
The general format of item names for data from PLC-2 controllers matches the naming
convention used by the programming software. The following sub-sections describe these
formats.
Protected and Unprotected Data
If PLC-2 memory protection is being used, it is necessary for data to be written to the PLC
using Protected Writes (or Protected Bit Writes for discrete items). Normally data is
written using Unprotected Writes. Protected Writes can be selected by appending a "P" to
the end of an item name (separated by a space). Protected and Unprotected items may be
freely mixed in an application.
Examples:
070 P
100/3 P
Using Protected Writes will require the PLC-2 ladder program to contain appropriately
configured memory protection rungs. Without these rungs, Protected Writes will be
rejected by the PLC.
Numeric Values from the PLC-2
The item name for a numeric value from the PLC-2 is the data table address in octal.
These values will be treated as unsigned 16-bit values (0 to 65535) unless one of the
qualifiers described below is appended to the item name. Note that the qualifiers must be
separated from the data table address by a blank space (using the spacebar).
S or SIGNED The value is treated as a signed 16-bit number (-32768 to
32767).
4 or 4BCD The value is treated as a 4-digit BCD number (0 to 9999).
3 or 3BCD The value is treated as a 3-digit BCD number (0 to 999).
Bits 0 through 13 octal are used, bits 14 through 17 octal
are ignored.
Examples:
030 A 16-bit unsigned binary value (0 to 65535).
030 S A 16-bit signed binary value (-32768 to 32767).
030 SIGNED Same as 030 S.
030 3 A 3-digit BCD value (0 to 999).
030 3BCD Same as 030 3.
030 4BCD A 4-digit BCD value (0 to 9999).
030 4 Same as 030 4BCD.
32 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
ASCII String
The item name for an ASCII string is a range of data table addresses specified as "x-y".
"x" and "y" must be valid data table addresses. The ASCII string is stored with two
characters per word.
Example:
1030-1045 (28-character ASCII string)
Note If reading only one word as a two-character string, the range must be "x-x". For
example, 1030-1030.
Discrete Values From the PLC-2
The item name for a discrete value (whether it's an I/O point or a bit in the data table) is
"www/bb", where "www" is the data table word address in octal and "bb" is the bit
number in octal. "www" must be a valid and appropriate data table word address and "bb"
must be between 0 and 17 octal. No spaces are allowed.
Examples:
010/0 Output, rack 1, group 0, bit 0.
122/17 Input, rack 2, group 2, bit 17.
020/7 Internal bit at data table word 020 bit 7.
PLC-2 Counter and Timer Fields
There are two ways to access the fields of a Counter or Timer. The first way is to identify
the word and bit(s) using octal addresses. The second way is to use the ".fields" described
below. For all of the field references, the item name takes the form "www.field". "www"
is the octal address of the Timer or Counter. No spaces are allowed.
Timer Fields
www.AC or .ACC
The Accumulated value - refers to bits 0 through 13 octal of the data table word "www".
It is treated as a 3-digit BCD value (0 to 999). An alternate way to refer to this field is
"www 3" as described above.
www.EN
The Enable bit - refers to bit 17 of the timer "www". An alternate way to refer to this field
is "www/17."
www.DN
The Done bit - refers to bit 15 of the timer "www". An alternate way to refer to this field
is "www/15".
www.PR or .PRE
The Preset value - refers to bits 0 through 13 octal of the data table word "www+100". It
is treated as a 3-digit BCD value (0 to 999). An alternate way to refer to this field is "xxx
3" where "xxx" is "www+100".
Item Names 33
Counter Fields
www.AC or .ACC
Same as for Timers.
www.DN
Same as for Timers.
www.PR or .PRE
Same as for Timers.
www.OV
The Overflow/Underflow bit - refers to bit 14 of the counter "www". An alternate way to
refer to this field is "www/14".
www.DE
Enable bit for CTD instructions - refers to bit 16 of the counter "www". An alternate way
to refer to this field is "www/16".
www.UE
Enable bit for CTU instructions - refers to bit 17 of the counter "www". An alternate way
to refer to this field is "www/17".
Examples:
030.DN Done bit of counter/timer 030.
030.AC Accumulated value of counter/timer 030 (implies a 3-digit
value).
030.PRE Preset value of counter/timer 030. Note this reference will
access the data table location 130. (.PRE implies +100
octal and it implies a 3-digit BCD value.)
030.PR Same as 030.PRE.
030.EN Enable bit of counter/timer 030.
030/17 Same as 030.EN.
34 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
PLC-3 Item Naming
The format of item names for data from PLC-3 controllers matches the naming convention
used by the programming software. Leading zeros are optional in all parts of the item
name. For example, I0/1, I0000/001 and I0000:0000/001 are equivalent names. The
general form is shown below. The parts of the name shown in square brackets ([]) are
optional.
section [file :] word [/bit]
section:
A single letter identifying a section of the data table must be one of the following letters:
Section Table Title
O Output Image
I Input Image
T Timer
C Counter
N Integer
F Floating-Point
D Decimal
B Binary
A ASCII
H High-Order-Integer
S Status
File:
Optional file number (0-999 decimal). If absent, file zero is used.
Word:
Word number within the section or file. For Input and Output sections it must be between
0 and 7777 octal. For all other sections, it must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
Bit:
Optional bit number within a word. It is valid for all sections except Floating Point. For
the High-Order Integer section, it must be between 0 and 37 octal. For all other sections,
it must be between 0 and 17 octal.
Item Names 35
Output Section Items
O[n:]rg[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"r" indicates the rack number (0 - 777 octal).
"g" indicates the I/O group (0 - 7 octal).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 17 octal). "/b" may be omitted to
treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
O0/0 or O0:0/0
O0:37/17 or O37/17
O3 4BCD (4-digit BCD, for 16-bit 7-segment display.)
Input Section Items
I[n:]rg[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"r" indicates the rack number (0 - 777 octal).
"g" indicates the I/O group (0 - 7 octal).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 17 octal). "/b" may be omitted to
treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
I0/0 or I0:0/0
I1:37/17
I3 4BCD (for 16-bit thumbwheel input.)
Timer Section Items
T[f:]e[/b] "f" identifies the file name of the Timer. If present, it must
be CTL, PRE or ACC. If "f:" is omitted, it is assumed to
be the CTL word (containing the status bits). CTL may be
abbreviated C or CT. PRE may be abbreviated P or PR.
ACC may be abbreviated A or AC.
"e" specifies the Timer number. It must be between 0 and
9999 decimal.
"b" specifies an optional bit number. This is normally
used with the CTL word, but it may also be used with the
ACC or PRE words. The bit number may be an octal
number between 0 and 17 or it may be one of the status bit
names: TE, TT or TD.
Examples:
TACC:0 (same as TA:0 and TAC:0)
T3/TD (same as TCTL:3/TD and T3/15)
TPRE:1 (same as TP:1)
36 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Counter Section Items
C[f:]e[/b] "f" identifies the file name of the counter. If present, it
must be CTL, PRE or ACC. If "f:" is omitted, it is
assumed to be the CTL word (containing the status bits).
CTL may be abbreviated C or CT. PRE may be
abbreviated P or PR. ACC may be abbreviated A or AC.
"e" specifies the Counter number. It must be between 0
and 9999 decimal.
"b" specifies an optional bit number. This is normally
used with the CTL word, but it may also be used with the
ACC or PRE words. The bit number may be an octal
number between 0 and 17 or it may be one of the status bit
names: CU, CD, DN, OV or UF.
Examples:
CACC:0 (same as CA:0 and CAC:0)
C3/OV (same as CCTL:3/OV)
CPRE:1 (same as CP:1)
Integer Section Items
N[n:]w[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the Integer section
or file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0-17
octal).
Examples:
N0
N7:0/15
N15:0003
Floating Point Section Items
F[n:]w "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the Floating Point
section or file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal. In
the Floating Point section, each word refers to a 32-bit
Floating Point number that occupies two 16-bit words of
storage.
Examples:
F0
F17:309
Item Names 37
Decimal Section Items
D[n:]w[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the Decimal section
or file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal. Each
word in the Decimal section contains a number between 0
and 9999.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 17
octal). When using bit numbers in Decimal items,
remember that the Decimal section stores numbers in
Binary Coded Decimal (BCD).
Examples:
D3
D10:0/3
Binary Section Items
B[n:]w[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the Binary section
or file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates bit (0-17 octal).
Examples:
B0/15
B3:6/4
B9999
ASCII Section Items
A[n:]w[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the ASCII section or
file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal. Each word
in the ASCII section stores two ASCII characters.
"b" is optional. If specified, indicates bit (0-17 octal).
A[n:]x-y "x" and "y" also specify word numbers. In this form, the
item is an ASCII string occupying word "x" through word
"y". Each word contains two ASCII characters. The first
character is the high order byte and the second is the low
order, etc.
Note If reading only one word as a two-character string,
the range must be "x-x". For example, A3-3.
Examples:
A3
A10:0/0
A0/17
A0-19 (40-character ASCII string)
38 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
High-Order-Integer Section Items
H[n:]w[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the High-Order-
Integer section or file. It must be between 0 and 9999
decimal. In the High-Order-Integer section, each word
refers to a 32-bit integer that occupies two 16-bit words of
storage.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. If specified, it
indicates the bit (0 - 37 octal).
Examples:
H0
H7:0/23
H15:0003
H1/37
Status Section Items
S[n:]w[/b] "n" indicates an optional file number between 0 and 999
decimal. If absent, file zero is used.
"w" specifies the word number within the Status section or
file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 17
octal).
Note Refer to the PLC-3 Family Programmable
Controller Manual (Allen-Bradley Publication 1775-6.4.1)
for a complete description of Status file information.
Examples:
S1:0 (year)
S1:1 (month)
S0:2/14 (battery low status bit)
Item Names 39
PLC-5 Item Naming
The general format of item names for data from 1785 PLC-5 controllers matches the
naming convention used by the programming software. The format is shown below. The
parts of the name shown in square brackets ([]) are optional.
[$] X [file] : element [.field] [/bit]
$:
Purely optional.
X:
Identifies the file type. The table below summarizes the valid file types, the default file
number for each type and the fields allowed (if any):
X File Type Default File # .Fields
O Output 0
I Input 1
S Status 2
B Binary 3
T Timer 4 .PRE .ACC .EN .TT .DN
C Counter 5 .PRE .ACC .CU .CD .DN
.OV .UN
R Control 6 .LEN .POS .EN .EU .DN .EM
.ER .UL .IN .FD
N Integer 7
F Floating Point 8
A ASCII none
D BCD none
ST ASCII String* none .LEN
PD PID* none .ADRF .ADRE .BIAS .CA .CL
.CT .DB .DO .DVDB .DVN
.DVNA .DVP .DVPA .EN .ERR
.EWD .INI .KD .KI .KP .MAXI
.MAXO .MAXS .MINI .MINO
.MINS .MO .OLH .OLL .OUT
.PE .PV .PVDB .PVH .PVHA
.PVL .PVLA .PVT .SO .SP
.SPOR .SWM .TIE .UPD
SC SFC Status* none .DN .ER .FS .LS .OV .PRE
.SA .TIM
BT Block Transfer*
(Read Only) none .EN .ST .DN .ER .CO .EW .NR
.RW .TO .RLEN .DLEN .FILE
.ELEM
* Available only on certain PLC-5 models. Check the Processor Manual for the model being used.
40 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
File:
File number (0-999 decimal). File 0 must be Output, file 1 must be Input and file 2 must
be Status.
Element:
Element number within the file. For Input and Output files it must be between 0 and 777
octal. For all other file types, it must be between 0 and 999 decimal.
.field:
Valid only for Counter, Timer, Control, ASCII String, PID, SFC Status, and Block
Transfer files. Refer to the previous table.
/bit:
Valid for all file types except ASCII String and Floating Point. For Input and Output files
it must be between 0 and 17 octal. For all other file types it must be between 0 and 15
decimal.
Output File Items
O[n]:rg[/b] "n" represents the file number is optional and if specified,
must be zero.
"r" indicates the rack number (octal).
"g" indicates the I/O group (octal).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 17 octal). "/b" may be omitted if
necessary to treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
O0:0/0
$O:37/17
O:3 4BCD (for 16-bit 7-segment display)
Input File Items
I[n]:rg[/b] "n" represents the file number is optional and, if specified,
must be one.
"r" indicates the rack number (octal).
"g" indicates the I/O group (octal).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 17 octal). "/b" may be omitted if
necessary to treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
I1:0/0
I:37/17
I:3 4BCD (for 16-bit thumbwheel input)
Item Names 41
Status File Items
S[n]:e[/b] "n" represents the file number is optional and, if specified,
must be two.
"e" indicates the element number in the file.
"b" is optional. If specified, indicates the bit (0-15
decimal).
Note Refer to the 1785 PLC-5 Family Processor Manual
(Allen-Bradley Publication 1785-6.8.2) for a complete
description of status file information.
Examples:
$S:18 (year)
$S2:18 (year)
S2:19 (month)
S2:10/0 (battery low status bit)
Binary File Items
B[n]:e/b
or
B[n]/m "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be three. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element (word) number within the Binary
file. It must be between 0 and 999 decimal.
"b" specifies the bit number within the word. In the first
form (where ":e" is present), the bit number must be
between 0 and 15 decimal.
"m" specifies the bit number within the file. However, in
the second form, no word number is specified and the bit
number may be between 0 and 15999.
Examples:
B3/15999 (same bit as B:999/15)
B:6/4 (same bit as B/100)
42 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Timer File Items
T[n]:e[.f][/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be four. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Timer file. It must be between 0 and
999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Timer fields. The valid
fields for Timer Files are listed in the table. If ".f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a timer can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a bit in the
.PRE or .ACC fields (which are words). For Timer files,
the bit number must be between 0 and 15 decimal.
Examples:
T4:0.ACC
T4:0.DN
T4:1.PRE
Counter File Items
C[n]:e[.f][/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be five. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Counter file. It must be between 0 and
999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Counter fields. The valid
fields for the Counter files are listed in the table. If ".f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a counter can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a bit in the
.PRE or .ACC fields (which are words). For Counter files,
the bit number must be between 0 and 15 decimal.
Examples:
C5:0.ACC
C5:3.OV
C5:1.PRE
Item Names 43
Control File Items
R[n]:e[.f][/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be six. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Control file. It must be between 3 and
999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Control fields. The valid
fields for Control files are listed in the table. If ".f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a Control file can be accessed by specifying the ".f"
fields. However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a
bit in the .LEN or .POS fields (which are words). If
specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15 decimal).
Examples:
R6:0.LEN
R6:3.EM
R6:1.POS
Integer File Items
N[n]:e[/b] "n" represents the file number (optional). If not specified,
it is assumed to be seven. If specified, the file number
must be between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Integer file. It
must be between 0 and 999 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15
decimal).
Examples:
N7:0
N7:0/15
N7:3
Floating Point File Items
F[n]:e "n" represents the file number (optional). If not specified,
it is assumed to be eight. If specified, the file number must
be between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Floating Point
file. It must be between 0 and 999 decimal.
Examples:
F8:0
F8:3
44 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
ASCII File Items
An:e[/b] "n" represents the file number (NOT optional) and must be
between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the ASCII file. It
must be between 0 and 999 decimal. Each element in an
ASCII file contains two ASCII characters.
"b" is optional. If specified, indicates bit (0-15 decimal).
An:x-y "x" and "y" also specify element numbers. In this form,
the item is an ASCII string occupying element "x" through
element "y". Each element contains two ASCII characters.
The first character is the high order byte and the second is
the low order, etc.
Note If reading only one word as a two-character string,
the range must be "x-x." For example, A20:3-3.
Examples:
A20:3
A10:0/0
A9:0-19 (40-character ASCII string)
BCD File Items
Dn:e[/b] "n" represents the file number (NOT optional) and must be
between 3 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the BCD file. It
must be between 0 and 999 decimal. Each element in a
BCD file contains a number between 0 and 9999.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15
decimal).
Examples:
D20:3
D10:0/3
ASCII String Section Items
STn:e[.f]
"n" represents the file number (NOT optional) and must be
between 9 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the String file. It
must be between 0 and 999 decimal. Each element in a
String file contains an ASCII string with a maximum
length of 82 characters.
"f" identifies the following ASCII string field: .LEN. If
".f" is omitted, it is assumed to be the string.
Examples:
ST9:0
ST9:900
ST9:900.LEN
Item Names 45
Block Transfer Section Items
BTn:e[.f][/b]
"n" represents the file number (NOT optional) and must be
between 9 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Block Transfer file (0 to 999 decimal).
"f" identifies one of the valid Block Transfer fields. The
valid fields for Block Transfer items are listed in the table.
If ".f" is omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing
the status bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a Block Transfer can be accessed by specifying the ".f"
fields. However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a
bit in the .FILE or .ELEM fields (which are words). For
Block Transfer files, the bit number must be between 0
and 15 decimal.
Note Block Transfer files are read only.
Examples:
BT9:0.EN
BT9:3.RLEN
BT9:3.FILE
PID Section Items
PDn:e[.f][/b]
"n" represents the file number (NOT optional) and must be
between 9 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the PID file. It
must be between 0 and 999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid PID fields. The valid fields
for PID files are listed in the table. If PID field .ADDR is
needed, use .ADRE for element and .ADRF for file.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a PID can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields. If
specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15 decimal).
Warning Access to PID files may degrade the server's
performance due to the extreme size of the PID element
(82 words each). If accessing only a few PIDs at a time,
performance will not be greatly affected. If accessing a
few fields of many PIDs at once, it may be faster to move
the needed fields to an intermediate file (Floating Point or
Binary) and let the server access the intermediate files.
Examples:
PD9:2.SP
PD9:3.OLH
PD9:0.INI
46 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
SFC Status Section Items
SCn:e[.f][/b]
"n" represents the file number (NOT optional) and must be
between 5 and 999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the SFC Status
file. It must be between 0 and 999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid SFC fields. The valid fields
for SFC files are listed in the table.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a SFC can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields. For
SFC Status items, the bit number must be between 0 and
15 decimal.
Examples:
SC9:0
SC9:0.PRE
SC9:0.SA
Item Names 47
PLC5/250 (Pyramid Integrator) Item Naming
The format of item names for data from PLC-5/250 controllers matches the naming
convention used by the programming software. The general form is shown below. The
parts of the name shown in square brackets ([]) are optional.
[$] [module] section [file] : element [.field] [/bit]
$:
Purely optional.
Module:
PLC-5/250 is comprised of several modules. Use zero to access items in the RM
(Resource Manager.) Use 1-4 to access items in specific Logic Processors. Omit the
module number when accessing I/O.
Section:
Identifies the section type. The following table summarizes the supported section types:
Section Section File .Fields
B Binary
C Counter .PRE .ACC .CU .CD .DN .OV .UN
F Floating Point
I Input Image
L Long Integer
MSG MSG .AD .AE .CO .DLEN .DN .EN .ER .EW
.ST .RLEN .ERR
N Integer
O Output Image
PD PID .ADRM .ADRF .ADRE .BIAS .CA .CL
.CT .DB .DO .DVDB .DVN .DVNA
.DVP .DVPA .EN .ERR .EWD .INI .KD
.KI .KP .MAXI .MAXO .MAXS .MINI
.MINO .MINS .MO .OLH .OLL .OUT
.PE .PV .PVDB .PVH .PVHA .PVL
.PVLA .PVT .SO .SP .SPOR .SWM
.TIE .UPD
R Control .DN .EM .EN .ER .EU .FD .IN .LEN
.POS .UL
S Status
ST String
T Timer .ACC .DN .EN .PRE .TT
48 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
File:
File number (0-9999 decimal). If omitted, file 0 is assumed.
Element:
Element number within the file. For Input and Output sections it must be between 0 and
377 octal. For all other sections, it must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
.field:
Valid only for Counter, Timer, Control, MSG and PID sections. See the previous table.
/bit:
Valid for all sections except Floating Point and String. For Input and Output sections it
must be between 0 and 17 octal. When applied to a Long Integer or a field of a Timer, it
may be between 0 and 31 decimal. For all other sections it must be between 0 and 15
decimal.
Binary Section Items
[m]B[n]:e[/b]
or
[m]B[n]:/x
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element (word) number within the Binary
file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"b" specifies the bit number within the word. The bit
number must be between 0 and 15 decimal. If "/b" is
omitted, the entire word will be accessed as a 16-bit
integer.
"x" specifies the bit number within the file. In this form,
the element number must be omitted and the bit number
may be between 0 and 159999.
Examples:
1B3:/159999 (same bit as 1B3:9999/15)
0B:6/4 (same bit as 0B:/100)
Item Names 49
Counter Section Items
[m]C[n]:e[.f][/b]
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Counter file. It must be between 0 and
9999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Counter fields. The valid
fields for the Counter section are listed in the table. If ".f"
is omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the
status bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a Counter can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a bit in the
.PRE or .ACC fields (which are words). For Counter files,
the bit number must be between 0 and 15 decimal.
Examples:
C5:0.ACC
1C9:3.OV
0C:1.PRE
Floating Point Section Items
[m]F[n]:e
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Floating Point
file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
Examples:
F8:0
2F17:3
50 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Input Section Items
I:rg[/b] Module numbers and file numbers are not allowed.
"r" indicates the rack number (0 - 37 octal).
"g" indicates the I/O group (0 - 7 octal).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 17 octal.) "/b" may be omitted if
necessary to treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
I:0/0
I:37/17
I:3 4BCD (for 16-bit thumbwheel input)
Long Integer Section Items
[m]L[n]:e[/b]
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Long Integer
file. It must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 31
decimal).
Examples:
0L:0/31
$L7:0/15
2L15:3
Item Names 51
MSG Section Items
[m]MSG[n]:e[.f] [/b] "m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager. If
specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the String file. It
must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid MSG fields. The valid fields
for MSG files are listed in the table.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a timer can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a bit in the
.PRE or .ACC fields (which are words). For Timer files,
the bit number must be between 0 and 15 decimal.
Important Note Access to MSG files may degrade the
server's performance due to the extreme size of the MSG
file element (56 words each). If accessing only a few MSG
elements at one time, performance will not be affected
greatly. However, if accessing a few fields of many MSG
file elements at once, it may be faster to move the needed
fields to an intermediate file (Binary or Integer) and let the
server access the intermediate files.
Examples:
0MSG0:0.EN
1MSG3:900.DLEN
Integer Section Items
[m]N[n]:e[/b] "m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Integer file. It
must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15
decimal).
Examples:
0N:0
$N7:0/15
2N15:3
52 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Output Section Items
O:rg[/b] Module numbers and file numbers are not allowed.
"r" indicates the rack number (0 - 37 octal).
"g" indicates the I/O group (0 - 7 octal).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 17 octal.) "/b" may be omitted if
necessary to treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
O:0/0
$O:37 4BCD (for 16-bit 7-segment display)
PID Section Items
[m]PD[n]:e[.f][/b]
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the PID file. It
must be between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid PID fields. The valid fields
for PID files are listed in the table. If PID field .ADDR is
needed, use .ADRM for module, .ADRE for element, or
.ADRF for file.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a PID can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields. If
specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15 decimal).
Warning Access to PID files may degrade the server's
performance due to the extreme size of the PID element
(82 words each). If accessing only a few PIDs at one time,
performance will not be affected greatly. However, if
accessing a few fields of many PIDs at once, it may be
faster to move the needed fields to an intermediate file
(Floating Point or Binary) and let the server access the
intermediate files.
Examples:
1PD:0.SP
1PD9:3.OLH
0PD1:0.INI
Item Names 53
Control Section Items
[m]R[n]:e[.f][/b]
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Control file. It must be between 0 and
9999 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Control fields. The valid
fields for Control files are listed in the table. If ".f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a Control file can be accessed by specifying the ".f"
fields. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15 decimal).
Examples:
1R:0.LEN
R9:3.EM
0R:1.POS
Status Section Items
[m]S[n]:e[/b]
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" indicates the element number in the file (0 - 31
decimal).
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15
decimal).
Examples:
$0S:20 (seconds)
0S0:16 (month)
0S:22/10 (battery low status bit)
54 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
String Section Items
[m]ST[n]:e
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the String file. It
must be between 0 and 9999 decimal. Each element in a
String file contains an ASCII string with a maximum
length of 82 characters.
Examples:
0ST0:0
1ST3:900
Timer Section Items
[m]T[n]:e[.f][/b]
"m" indicates the module to access. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero which selects the Resource Manager.
If specified, it must be zero or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
"n" represents the file number. If not specified, it is
assumed to be zero. If specified, the file number must be
between 0 and 9999 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (six words per element)
within the Timer file. It must be between 0 and 9999
decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Timer fields. The valid
fields for Timer files are listed in the table.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a timer can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
For Timer files, the bit number must be between 0 and 31
decimal.
Examples:
T:0.ACC
1T9:3.DN
T:1.PRE
Item Names 55
SLC 500 Item Naming
The general format of item names for data from SLC-500 controllers matches the naming
convention used by the programming software. The format is shown below. (The parts of
the name shown in square brackets ([]) are optional).
[$] X [file] : element [.field] [/bit]
$:
Purely optional.
X:
Identifies the file type. The table below summarizes the valid file types, the default file
number for each type and the .fields allowed (if any):

X File Type DefaultFile .Fields

O Output* 0
I Input* 1
S Status 2
B Binary 3
T Timer 4 .PRE .ACC .EN .TT .DN
C Counter 5 .PRE .ACC. CU .CD .DN .OV .UN .UA
R Control 6 .LEN .POS .EN .DN .ER .UL .IN .FD
N Integer 7
F Floating Point* 8
A ASCII* none
ST ASCII String* none
* Available only on certain SLC500 models. Check the Processor Manual for the model being used.
File:
File number must be 0-255 decimal. File 0 must be Output, file 1 must be Input, file 2
must be Status.
Element:
Element number within the file. For Input and Output files it must be between 0and 30
decimal. All other file types, it must be between 0 and 255 decimal.
.field:
Valid only for Counter, Timer and Control files, see table above.
/bit:
Valid for all file types except ASCII String and Floating Point. Must be 0-15 decimal.
56 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Output File Items
O[n]:e.s[/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be zero.
"e" indicates the element number in the file.
"s" indicates the sub-element number (0 - 255).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 15 decimal.) "/b" may be omitted
if necessary to treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
O0:0/0
$O:2/15
O:3 4BCD (for 16-bit 7-segment display)
Input File Items
I[n]:e.s[/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be one.
"e" indicates the element number in the file.
"s" indicates the sub-element number (0 - 255).
"b" specifies the bit (0 - 15 decimal.) "/b" may be omitted
if necessary to treat the I/O group as a numeric value.
Examples:
I1:0/0
I:2/15
I:3 4BCD (for 16-bit thumbwheel input)
Item Names 57
Addressing SLC I/O Modules
The elements (words) in I/O modules are mapped into a memory table. If the Analog I/O
modules are being used, then the point naming will differ from the point naming in the
programming software. The server item name must be computed from the sum total of
words used by the previous input or output blocks. The operator can use the programming
software Data Monitor to look at the memory map of the I file or O file to verify your
address. If the address is unsure, or if the PLC configuration is likely to change, copy the
points in question to the N table or B table and access the data from there.
The naming conventions used in the Allen-Bradley programming software are not
supported by the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server. The addressing convention is
similar to that of the PLC 5 family processors. To derive the correct address for each I/O
point, use the following.
Diagram system
Addressing of the I/O points begins by drawing a schematic of the system. The figure
below is a diagram of the SLC 5/02 system.

The far left unit is the power supply. From left to right, the modules are:
1747-L524 SLC 5/02 Module Processor
1746-IA8 8 point 120VAC input module
1746-OA16 16 Point 120VAC output module
1746-IA16 16 point 120VAC input module
1746-NI4 4 point 20mA analog input module
1746-NO4I 4 point 20mA analog output module
1746-0A8 8 point 120VAC input module
1746-IB32 32 point DC input module
58 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Label I/O modules with "word counts"
The address of any point within the I/O datatable space, in an SLC processor, is the sum of
the words occupied by previous modules (to the left in the rack) of the same type.
Therefore, to determine the correct address for any particular point in the I/O datatable,
one must know the number of words each module will consume. Refer to the list below:
Number of Words Module
0 1747-L524 SLC 5/02 Module Processor
1 1746-IA8 8 point 120VAC input module
1 1746-OA16 16 Point 120VAC output module
1 1746-IA16 16 point 120VAC input module
4 1746-NI4 4 point 20mA analog input module
4 1746-NO4I 4 point 20mA analog output module
1 1746-0A8 8 point 120VAC input module
2 1746-IB32 32 point DC input module
Note In the table above, the minimum amount of words which can be consumed by a
module is 1 (16-bits). This is due to the memory scheme of all Allen-Bradley processors.
Sequentially number the Input modules
In the I/O diagram below, the first input module's addressing should start with "I:0".
Previously noted, this module consumes one datatable word. Therefore, the addressing of
the next INPUT module encounter, moving from left to right, will begin with "I:1",
regardless of the module's physical location.
Sequentially number the Output modules
In the I/O diagram below, the first output card encountered is the OA16. Although it is
not in the first slot, its address will be "O:0" ('OHH, colon ZERO"). This module
consumes one datatable word. Therefore, the addressing of the next OUTPUT module;
moving from left to right, will begin with "O:1", regardless of the module's physical
location.
Item Names 59
I/O Diagram

Status File Items
S[n]:e[/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be two.
"e" indicates the element number in the file
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15
decimal).
Note Refer to the SLC-500 Family Processor Manual
(Allen-Bradley Publication) for a complete description of
Status file information.
Examples:
S2:6 (major error fault)
S2:13 (math register)
S:1/5 (forces enabled)
60 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Binary File Items
B[n]:e/b
or
B[n]/m "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be three. If specified, the file
number must be between 10 and 255 decimal.
"e" specifies the element (word) number within the Binary
file. It must be between 0 and 255 decimal.
"b" specifies the bit number within the word. In the first
form (where ":e" is present,) the bit number must be
between 0 and 15 decimal.
"m" also represents the bit number. However, in the
second form, no word number is specified and the bit
number may be between 0 and 4095.
Examples:
B3/4095 (same bit as B:255/15)
B:6/4 (same bit as B/100)
B3
Timer File Items
T[n]:e[.f][/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be four. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 255 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Timer file. It must be between 0 and
255 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Timer fields. The valid
fields for Timer Files are listed in the table. If "f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a timer can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a bit in the
.PRE or .ACC fields (which are words).
Examples:
T4:0.ACC
T4:3.DN
T4:1.PRE
Item Names 61
Counter File Items
C[n]:e[.f][/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be five. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 255 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Counter file. It must be between 0 and
255 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Counter fields. The valid
fields for the Counter Files are listed in the table. If "f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a counter can be accessed by specifying the ".f" fields.
However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a bit in the
.PRE or .ACC fields (which are words).
Examples:
C5:0.ACC
C5:3.OV
C5:1.PRE
Control File Items
R[n]:e[.f][/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be six. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 255 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number (three words per
element) within the Control file. It must be between 0 and
255 decimal.
"f" identifies one of the valid Control fields. The valid
fields for the Control files are listed in the table. If "f" is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the status
bits.
"b" is optional and is normally not used. All of the fields
of a Control file can be accessed by specifying the ".f"
fields. However, it is possible to use "/b" to single out a
bit in the .LEN or .POS fields (which are words).
Examples:
R6:0.LEN
R6:3.EN
R6:1.POS
62 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Integer File Items
N[n]:e[/b] "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be seven. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 255 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Integer file. It
must be between 0 and 255 decimal.
"b" is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15
decimal).
Examples:
N7:0
N7:0/15
N7:3
Floating Point File Items
F[n]:e "n" represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be eight. If specified, the file
number must be between 3 and 255 decimal.
"e" specifies the element number within the Floating Point
file. It must be between 0 and 255 decimal.
Examples:
F8:0
F8:3
ASCII File Items
An:e[/b] "n" represents the file number (NOT optional).
"e" specifies the element number within the ASCII file. It
must be between 0 and 255 decimal. Each element in an
ASCII file contains two ASCII characters.
"b" is optional. If specified, indicates bit (0-15 decimal).
Examples:
A20:3
A10:0/0
ASCII String Section Items
STn:e
"n" represents the file number (NOT optional).
"e" specifies the element number within the String file. It
must be between 0 and 255 decimal. Each element in a
String file contains an ASCII string with a maximum
length of 78 characters.
Examples:
ST9:0
ST9:900
Monitoring the Status of Communications with a PLC 63
Monitoring the Status of Communications with a PLC
For each topic name (PLC), there is a built-in discrete item that can be used to monitor the
status of communications with the PLC. The discrete item, Status, is set to 0 when
communication with the PLC fails and is set to 1 when communication is successful.
Using the Status Item in Excel
The status of the PLC communications can be read into Excel by entering the following
DDE reference formula in a cell on a spreadsheet:
=AB1784KT|ABPLC!Status
where:
AB1784KT Is the name of the server application.
ABPLC Is the exact topic name defined in the server for the PLC.
Status Built-in discrete item used to monitor the status of
communications with the PLC.
Monitoring the Status of an I/O Conversation
WindowViewer supports built-in topic names called DDEStatus and IOStatus that can
be used to monitor the status of specific I/O conversations. For example, let's assume that
WindowViewer (VIEW) is communicating with the Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
to a PLC that has been defined in the server with ABPLC for its topic name. The discrete
items, DDEStatus and IOStatus are set to 0 when this I/O conversation has failed and set
to 1 when this I/O conversation is successful.
Using DDEStatus and IOStatus in Excel
The status of communication between the PLC and InTouch can be read into Excel by
entering the following DDE reference formula in a cell on a spreadsheet:
=view|DDEStatus!ABPLC
or
=view|IOStatus!ABPLC
where:
view Is the name of the InTouch application.
[DDE][IO]Status Built-in topic name used to monitor the status of
communications between the server and InTouch.
ABPLC Is the exact topic name defined in the server for the PLC.
64 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Reading Values from the I/O Server into Excel
Values may be read directly into Excel spreadsheets from the server by entering a DDE
formula into a cell using the following format:
=applicationname|topicname!itemname
Example formula:
=AB1784KT|ABPLC!N7:0
where:
AB1784KT Is the name of the server application.
ABPLC Is the exact topic name defined in the server for the PLC.
N7:0 Is the actual location in the PLC that contains the data
value. This is the item name.
In this example, each time the value of N7:0 changes in the PLC, the server will
automatically send the new value to the cell containing the formula in Excel.
Note Refer to the Microsoft Excel manual for complete details on entering Remote
Reference formulas for cells.
Writing Values to the I/O Server from Excel 65
Writing Values to the I/O Server from Excel
Values may be written to the server from Microsoft Excel by creating an Excel macro that
uses the POKE command. The proper command is entered in Excel as follows:
channel=INITIATE("applicationname","topicname")
=POKE(channel,"itemname", Data_Reference)
=TERMINATE (channel)
=RETURN()
The following describes each of the above POKE macro statements:
channel=INITIATE("applicationname","topicname")
Opens a channel to a specific topic name (defined in the server) in a particular application
name (the executable name less the .EXE) and assigns the number of that opened channel
to channel.
Note By using the channel=INITIATE statement the word channel must be used in the
=POKE statement instead of the actual cell reference. The "applicationname" and
"topicname" portions of the formula must be enclosed in quotation marks.
=POKE(channel,"itemname", Data_Reference)
POKEs the value contained in the Data_Reference to the specified item name (actual
location in the PLC) via the channel number returned by the previously executed
INITIATE function. Data_Reference is the row/column ID of the cell containing the
data value.
=TERMINATE(channel)
Closes the channel at the end of the macro. Some applications have a limited number of
channels therefore, they should be closed when finished. Channel is the channel number
returned by the previously executed INITIATE function.
=RETURN()
Marks the end of the macro.
Note Refer to the .XLM sample Excel poke macro provided on the server program disk.
Also refer to the Microsoft Excel manual for complete details on entering Remote
Reference formulas for cells.
66 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems
This section provides you with some simple steps that can be taken to ascertain and
correct communication problems. The problems described here represent the most
probable causes of communication failure.
Note This is a general troubleshooting guide and for the sake of brevity we cannot cover
every possible source of communication problems.
Debugging Communication Between InTouch and
an I/O Server
This section explains the most common error situations that can occur when attempting to
establish communication between InTouch and a server.
Servers are Window applications that communicate with I/O, PLCs, and/or other data
sources. If a server supports either the Microsoft Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) or the
Wonderware SuiteLink protocol, it is capable of communicating with the Wonderware
InTouch program.
Note All Wonderware version 7.0 or later servers support both DDE and SuiteLink.
However, the SuiteLink protocol is only supported on the Windows NT (version 4.0 or
later) and Windows 2000 operating system.
Servers respond to data requests made by other applications. Requesting applications are
called clients. When WindowViewer acts as a client and requires the value of an item, it
contacts the server and requests the items value. The server will report the value and
update WindowViewer only if a change occurs. All WindowViewer data requests provide
information relating an item to a register, coil number, or I/O data point understood by the
server. The server uses the information to automatically handle all messages to and from
I/O, hardware devices (PLC), and/or other data sources.
Note We highly recommend starting all the servers required by the InTouch application
before starting WindowViewer. InTouch (versions prior to 7.0) will display the Initiating
DDE Conversation message box for each uninitiated conversation.
For example:
If you start up WindowViewer and cannot successfully establish a conversation with a
server, the following Initiating DDE Conversation dialog box will appear:

Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 67
The information in the second line indicates that you have at least one I/O type
tagname defined in your Tagname Dictionary that is associated with an Access Name
that defines OMRONFO as the Application Name, and HLPLC as the Topic Name.
Make note of exactly how the application and topic names are spelled.
# This example only applies when using a version of InTouch prior to InTouch 7.0.
To troubleshoot communication problems between WindowViewer and the server,
perform the following steps as listed below.
$ Verify the I/O Server is running.
1. Start the server program.
2. Verify the server is running by checking to see if it is in the Windows Task List.
On Windows NT and Windows 2000, click the right mouse button on the Windows
taskbar and select Task Manager from the menu. Click the Applications tab to view
all currently running applications. Or press the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys.
$ On Windows 9.x, press the ALT+TAB keys while holding down the ALT key.If the
I/O Server is running, verify the I/O Server's program name is correct in all
WindowMaker Access Name definitions.
1. Switch to (or start) WindowMaker. Select Access Names from the Special Menu, the
Access Name Definitions dialog box appears listing all Access Names defined in the
WindowMaker.
2. In the Access Names list, select the Access Name referencing the server and click
Modify. The Modify Access Name dialog box will appear.
3. Verify the server's program name in the Application Name box is correct. If it is
wrong then correct it and click OK , else click Cancel.
# The server's exact "executable name" must be typed in the Application Name box
in all Access Name definitions. The ".exe" extension is not used.
# If you are debugging a remote tagname reference, also verify that the node name
for the remote computer in the Node Name box is correct.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 and verify the server program name is correct in all Access Names
that use it.
$ If you still cannot establish a conversation, verify the exact topic name used in the
WindowMaker Access Name definitions are defined in the I/O Server program.

1. Close WindowViewer if it is running. The server cannot be configured if
WindowViewer is running.
2. Start the server program.
3. From the servers Configure menu select Topic Definition. The Topic Definition
dialog box appears listing all topic names defined in the server.
4. Verify that the topic name exists and is spelled exactly the same (including spaces) as
the topic name referenced in the WindowMaker Access Name definition.
68 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
# Blank spaces cannot follow the topic name in either the server's Topic Definition
or the Access Name definition.
5. If the topic name is different, either correct it in the server or switch to WindowMaker
and correct it in the Access Name definition.
6. Once you performed the above procedure, restart WindowViewer and switch to the
server program. Data should now appear in the servers program window to indicate
that WindowViewer and the server are communicating.
# The data in the servers program window indicates the read and write messages
the server is sending to and receiving from the PLC. These are not error
messages; only status messages are written to the servers program window.
7. If no data appears in the servers program window, switch to the Wonderware Logger
to check for error messages. For example, a common error message is:
"Error for DDE: OMRONFO|HLPLC!<null>("item") Advise failed"
This message appears when the item defined in one or more tagnames is invalid for
the server.
# InTouch tagnames use specific naming conventions when accessing data from a
server. The valid item names for all Wonderware servers are documented in their
respective user's guides. Typically, the item naming conventions used by each
server are consistent with the names used by the equipment manufacturer.
! For more information on the Wonderware Logger, see your online FactorySuite
System Administrator's Guide.
$ If you are still experiencing problems, continue with the following troubleshooting
section.
Debugging Communication Between SuiteLink and
an I/O Server
If you have successfully applied the debug techniques listed in the previous section and
are still experiencing communication problems to a server that is attempting to
communicate using the SuiteLink protocol, perform the following steps as listed below:
$ Verify the I/O Server supports the Wonderware SuiteLink protocol, that is, the I/O
Server is version 7.0 or above.
$ Try communicating to the I/O Server using the DDE protocol. If this is not possible,
then proceed to the next troubleshooting section otherwise continue with the
following steps:
1. Verify Microsoft's TCP/IP stack is installed and configured properly.
# SuiteLink uses the Microsoft TCP/IP stack for its communications even if the
client application and the server reside on the same node.
2. If you do not have an Ethernet card to bind to the TCP/IP stack, install the Microsoft
Loop Back Adapter.
3. Install the Microsoft TCP/IP stack.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 69
Debugging Communication Between an I/O Server
and a PLC
This section provides you with simple steps to diagnose and correct server to PLC
communication problems. The debug techniques listed below address both serial and
board servers. Disregard any information that is not applicable to the server type that you
are using.
When attempting to establish communication between a server and a PLC, if no data
appears in the server's program window and the data items are not updating in
WindowViewer, switch to the Wonderware Logger and check for error messages.
! For more information on the Wonderware Logger, see your online FactorySuite
System Administrator's Guide.
For example, some of the most common errors that may appear in the Wonderware Logger
for serial servers are:
Response Timeout
WCRET = -2
WakeUp = -2
Receive Overrun
Framing Errors
Note Unless specified otherwise, most serial communication based servers are full
duplex. If you require a server for half duplex (one that monitors the CTS and RTS lines)
or if you are not sure whether the PLC's protocol is full or half duplex, call your PLC
supplier.
Also, during in-house server testing, we have found that the communication cards that use
the National 16450 and 16550 UARTs seem to be less susceptible to level and timing
problems. Cards based on other chips may work, but we recommend using the National
cards. Some of the highly integrated UART chips (most notably, Winbond and UMC)
have a tendency for their transmitters to hang, requiring re-initialization of the UART. If
this occurs, you may have to restart the server or execute the Reinitialize I/O command
from the Special menu in WindowViewer.
$ Check your cabling to the PLC.
Is it wired correctly? Check for shorts, loose wires, broken wires, crossed wires, and so
on.
# A continuity tester can be helpful here.
$ Verify the I/O Servers serial configuration settings (Parity, Stop Bits, Baud Rate,
Handshaking and so on) against the settings in the hardware device.
$ Verify the communication port is working properly in Windows.
1. Close the server program.
# If you are using a server that requires a TSR, you will not be able to verify that
the port is functioning properly while the TSR is running. Stop all TSRs then
continue with this procedure. If you confirm that the port functions properly
without the TSR running, change your software interrupt (IRQ) to another
number, for example, change 60 to 62.
70 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
# Also, if you are using an AT type computer, two devices cannot share interrupts.
Verify that the communication port you are using has a unique interrupt setting.
2. On Windows 9.x, Windows NT or Windows 2000, start the HyperTerminal program.
3. Configure the Terminal (or HyperTerminal) program to use the same communication
port with the same settings (baud rate, parity, stop bits and so on) as the hardware
device.
4. Connect a null modem cable to a second computer's port.
5. On the second computer, start and configure the Terminal (or HyperTerminal)
program with the same settings as the first computer.
6. Verify that you can send data between the two computers.
# If you do not have two computers and the computer you are using has another
port, start two instances of the Terminal (or HyperTerminal) program with each
configured to their own port. Then try communicating between them.
# If you have an external modem, connect the modem to the communication port
that you are testing to see if you can dial out.
7. If the communication port does not appear to be functioning properly, check your
environment files (AUTOEXE.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI).
Look for suspicious programs or drivers that might be taking control of the port or its
interrupt before the server is loaded. Always keep your environment files as clean as
possible. If you are in doubt about an entry, comment it out.
8. If the previous step was unsuccessful, try another communication port or another
computer.
Note A common misconception of connecting to a PLC with a DOS program and the
same communication port will work in Windows is not the case! Windows is an entirely
different environment than DOS.
$ What type of UART is on the COM port?
If its not a 16550, then you must lower your baud rate to 9600 or slower. Only the 16550
UART can sustain continuous, error free communications at speeds higher than 9600
baud. Other UARTs may work at speeds faster than 9600 baud, but errors may be written
to the Wonderware Logger. For example, "Receive Overruns." To determine which
UART you have, enter MSD at a DOS prompt, then choose COM Ports from the MSD
menu.

$ Verify the parameters for WWCOMTSR.
Do not specify a receive and/or transmit buffer size of 8!
For example:
Correct:
COM1:0 COM2:1,2048,2048
COM1:0 COM2:1
Incorrect:
COM1:0 COM2:1,8,8
$ Does your computer crash when trying to communicate through the COM port?
If so, verify that each TSR has a unique software interrupt.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 71
# A utility, ShowSoft, is available on the Knowledge Base CD that can assist in
determining the available software interrupts.
$ Does your computer lock up?
Verify the COM port's IRQs do not conflict with each other or with other communication
boards in the computer.
$ If the PLC or field device has more than one COM port, verify the connection to the
correct port.
The COM port on your computer uses the RS-232 hardware communication standard and
connects the cable from the COM port to an RS-232 compliant device.
Note To connect to an RS-422 or RS-485 port on the PLC, you need an RS-232 to RS-
422/485 conversion device.
If possible, use an external converter instead of a board-based converter that plugs into a
slot in the computer. A board-based converter is difficult to get working for inexperienced
users. If a board-based converter is not set up properly, it can conflict with other
communication boards in the computer such as, internal modems.
72 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
$ If you are using the Windows 9.x operating system, verify the following:
1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Point to Settings, then click Control Panel in the
menu. The Control Panel dialog box will appear.
2. Double-click the System icon. The System Properties dialog box will appear. Click
the Device Manager tab and select the COM port that you are using for the server.
For example:

3. Click Properties. The Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Port Settings tab.

Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 73
4. Click Advanced. The Advanced Port Settings dialog box appears:

5. Lowering the default Receive Buffer and Transmit Buffer settings to their minimum
may solve I/O communication problems for portable computers (notebook or laptops)
and framing errors for standard computers.
6. If using a 16550 UART chip, select the Use FIFO buffers (requires 16550 compatible
UART) option. If you are not using a UART chip, make sure this option is not
selected.
$ If you are using the Windows NT or Windows 2000 operating system, verify the
following:

1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Point to Settings, then click Control Panel in the
menu. The Control Panel dialog box will appear.
2. Double-click the Ports icon, the Ports dialog box will appear.
3. Select a port and click the Settings button. The Settings for COMx dialog box
appears:

4. Click Advanced. The Advanced Settings for COMx dialog box appears:

5. Lowering the setting for the Interrupt Request Line (IRQ) value to the minimum may
solve I/O communication problems for portable computers (notebook or laptops) and
framing errors for standard computers.
6. If you are using a 16550 UART chip, select the FIFO Enabled option. If you are not
using a UART chip, make sure this option is not selected.
74 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
$ How long is your RS-232 cable?
Fifteen meters (fifty feet) is the maximum practical length for the RS-232 standard.
$ Try using a different COM port for the I/O Server.
$ If you are installing an I/O Server or configuring a board-based I/O Server on a
computer running on the Windows NT or Windows 2000 operating system, log on
with Administrator privileges.
# Without Administrator privileges, the server and Server Install program cannot make
the necessary edits to the Windows NT or Windows 2000 Registry during installation
or board configuration of the server.
1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Point to Programs, then to Administrative Tools
(Common), and click User Manager in the menu. The User Manager dialog box will
appear:

2. Double-click the Username you typed in during log on.
3. If the User Properties dialog box does not appear, you do not have Administrator
privileges.
4. If the User Properties dialog box does appear, click on the Groups button and verify
Administrators is in the Member of list.
$ If you experience occasional or random communication errors in the Wonderware
Logger, such as "Response Timeouts," check for noise.
Do the physical cables run past any known noise sources such as photocopiers, fluorescent
lamps, fans, pumps, motors or generators? Are the cables properly shielded from its
environment? With radio modems and satellite link ups, occasional communications
errors in the Wonderware Logger are normal and to be expected as long as they do not
adversely impact the flow of data.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 75
$ Increase the Reply Timeout setting in the I/O Server to a value between 5 and 10
seconds.
Not allowing the PLC or field device enough time to respond to the servers request for
data may result in communication errors.
$ Verify the PLC is properly configured and the cable is good by using the
programming software for the PLC.
1. Connect to the PLC with the programming software. The connection must be through
the same port and cable. Go into the programming software configuration and write
down what the communications parameters are (baud rates, routes, node number,
error checking, etc.).
2. Close the programming software. Open the I/O Server and verify the communications
settings are the same.
3. Poke data into the PLC with InTouch or WWClient.
4. Shut down the server and use the programming software to verify that the values were
correctly poked.
# Performance of this test depends upon the type of PLC you are using.
$ Reinstall the I/O Server and verify that you are using the latest version.
Wonderware is continually improving our servers and using the latest version will
guarantee the best results.
# New versions of the Wonderware I/O Servers are released regularly on the I/O Server
CD included in Comprehensive Support Shipments and they are also available from
the Wonderware WEB site at: http://www.wonderware.com.
$ Move the I/O Servers configuration file to another location on the computers hard
drive. This will clear all configuration for the I/O Server, then reconfigure the I/O
Server.
# Wonderware server configuration files are typically the exact same name as the
servers executable name with the .CFG extension. For example, OMRONFO.CFG.
Refer to the Configuration File section of the specific server users guide for the exact
name of the configuration file.
$ If possible, reinstall the Windows operating system.
Files installed earlier on your computer or the NT registry may have been corrupted or
accidentally modified.
$ If these troubleshooting suggestions do not solve your problem, there may be a
problem with your computer. There are many subtle differences between the
various computer hardware brands. Using a computer that is a different brand and
meets the following criteria:
1. Select a different PC manufacturer and if this is not possible, try a different PC model
from the same manufacturer.
76 Wonderware Allen-Bradley 1784-KT I/O Server
2. The computer can not use an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) version of
Microsoft Windows. We highly recommend using only a Microsoft Windows
product. Contact your vendor to determine if installing an off-the-shelf copy of
Microsoft Windows will cause any problems.
$ If you feel you have tested all possible situations that may be causing your failed I/O
communications, contact your local Wonderware distributor for technical support.
! For more information on obtaining technical support, see your online FactorySuite
System Administrators Guide.